Advertisements are often displayed in a web page in response to a user typing the Universal Resource Locator (“URL”) for that web page into a web browser or selecting a link for the web page from a list of search results. Typically, each advertisement is associated with a single adviser and may include text and/or graphics and/or audio. Upon selection of an advertisement (e.g., left click with a mouse or rolling over the area with a pointer), the web browser can be redirected to a web page associated with the advertisement from which the user can, for example, receive additional information, place online orders, or complete other transactions. Advertisements are typically sold based on a set fee, a cost-per-click (CPC), or a cost-per-thousand (CPM) viewers.
Advertisements can be displayed in a web page in a variety of ways. An advertiser can elect to place the advertisement(s) within a given web page. However, if the advertisement is not effective on that selected web page the advertiser's only recourse is to stop advertising on that page and find a new web page on which to advertise.
Alternatively, advertisements can be selected for display within a web page substantially in real time, based on demographical information of a particular user who is accessing the web page. However, this approach for selecting and displaying advertisements is often perceived as intrusive of the user's privacy and may be ineffective when the web page provider has insufficient information regarding the user's demographics.
Advertisements may also be displayed on a particular web page or in a particular location on a web page based on subject matter displayed on that page. However, once the information on that page changes so will the advertisement. The idea according to both of these latter approaches is that end-users are more likely to “click-trough” or otherwise respond to advertisements that are closely related to the user's interests and characteristics.
The above strategies work well in many situations, such as for national and international advertising campaigns but they are not especially effective for local advertising. Local advertisers are typically averse to actively managing Internet advertising campaigns, yet they are concerned about where and when their advertisements are served. They also want the most effective advertising campaign that they can afford.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide an improved system and method for selling and displaying advertisements over the internet.